Current-rectifying apparatus.



J. E. GALLANT.

CURRENT RECTIFYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1917.

1 ,290, 1 67-. Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEEI' I- J. E. GALLANT.

CURRENT RECTIFYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. my.

Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- STATES PATENT orFIcE,

JOHN E. GALLANT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CURRENT-REGTIFYING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. GALLANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bos ton, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and use-' ful Current-Rectifying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to current rectifying apparatus of the general type shown'in my prior application Serial N 0. 141,020 filed by me January 6, 1917..

In this prior application I disclosed a form of rectifying apparatus in which the circuit changes were produced by the joint action of intermeshing s iral gears, each gear being formed of insulating nd conducting toothed disks joined together in a rigid structure.

It is the general object of my invention to improve the construction and operation of these gears by providing for slight relative angular movement between the insulating and conducting portions of one of the gears. By such provision I obtain the important advantages hereinafter described.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a device which shall materially reduce or entirely prevent sparking in the rectifying apparatus when the current is broken or reversed. A further feature of my invention relates to the provision in a rectifying apparatus of connections so designed that the charging rate in different-sections of the bat.

tery will be inversely proportioned to the voltage therein. I I

My invention further relates to certain arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of my-invention and a modification thereof are shown in the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of the preferred form of my apparatus, this figure also showing the connections and use of the apparatus diagrammatically.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are enlarged views showing the successive contacts made by the teeth of the intermeshing spiral gears, as their relative position changes;

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view of one of the gears, taken along the line 5-5 Fig. 6; Y Y

' *ig. 6 is a sectional plan view, taken along the line 6-6 in Fig. 5;-'

Fig. 7 is a view similar t Fig. 1, but

Specification of Letters Patent. 2

shpiwing a modified form of my invention, an

Figs. 8, 9 and 10, are enlarged views showing the successive contacts made in the operation of the modification shown in Feferring to Figs. 1 to 6, the preferred form ofmy invention comprises a pair of lntermeshing spiral ears 10' and 20, the gear 10 being prefera ly the drivin gear. These spiral gears 10 and 20 are each formed of several sections of conducting and insulating materials.

The gear 10 comprises a central disk 11 of vulcanized fiber or some similar insulatmg material, secured to or integral with a hub 12, rotatable in suitable bearings 13. Two conducting or metal disks 14 and 15 are loosely mounted upon the hub 12 nd are. confined from axial movement b two insulating flanges or disks 16 and l -Short shafts 30 and 31 are fixed in the hub 12, but are separated at their inner ends by a portion of the insulating material of which the hub 12 and disk 11 are formed.

Pins 32 of conducting material extend outdisks backward until the front end of eac slot 18 engages a stop pm 19.

Patented Jan. 7.1919. Application filed m 29, 1917. serial No. 171,795.

the slots 18, and yieldingly force the metal Gear teeth are cut in the edges of all the disks but the teeth of the gears 14' and 15 are preferably formed somewhat thinner than the teeth of thefiberdisks 11, 16 and -17. Consequently as the gears are forced backward by the springs 19, they engage the teeth of the intermeshing gear '20'with their rear faces only.

The gear 20 is preferably formed of a single metal disk 21, secured between fiber or insulating disks 22 and 23 (Fig. 3) these parts being secured together to form a single rigidstructure.

Brushes 33 and 34 engage the ends of the shafts 30 and 31 respectively, and are connected by wires 35 and 36 in the opposite poles of Qstorage battery B. The disk 21 1s connected through its shaft 24 and brush 25 to the ground at .G. A magneto or other form of generator M is connected by a wire through the wire the battery B; and the disk 15 of the gear one side of the generator M; the disk 14.

of the gear 10 is continuously connected 35 to the negative side of 10 is continuously connected through the wire 36 to the positive side of the battery B. Also the intermediate or middle point in the battery is continuously connected to the second pole of the generator M. As the gears 10 and 20 revolve in timed relation to' the pole changes or alternations of the gem erator M, the circuits are continuously reversed so that the alternating current of the generator will be delivered to the battery as a pulsating direct current.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the tooth 21 of the disk 21 in engagement with the tooth 15 of the disk 15, thus completing a circuit to the positive pole of the battery. At the same time it will be noted that the disk 14 is moved backward by its spring 19 so that it-does notengage the rear face of the tooth 21 of the disk 21. In Fig. 3 the tooth 21 has moved forward'until it engages the tooth 11 of the fiber disk 11, thus breaking the circuit from th generator to thebattery. In Fig. 4 the tooth 21 has moved still farther forward, and .now engages therear face of the tooth 14 in the metal disk 14, thus completing a circuit through the wire 35 to the negative side of the battery. As the gear continues to revolve a tooth 21 of the disk 21 will move forward and engage the tooth 15 of the disk 15, the circuits thus being restored to their first position. The resistance. R is provided to reduce or prevent sparking in the rectifying apparatus when the contact between the disks is broken. The connection of the generator to the middle point of the battery by the Wire 37 permits charges to be sent first into.

and then into the current is reversed. to equalize one half of the battery other, as the direction of This connection 37 also tends the charge in the different parts of the battery as that portion of the battery which is of lower voltage will naturally be charged .iore rapidly than the portion which-is of higher voltage.

In Figs. 7 to 10 I have shown a modified form of my construction in which intermeshing spiral gears 40 and 50 are used.

The gear 40 is similar to the gear 10 previously described, and is composed of a single loosely mounted'metal disk 41, electrically connected to a shaft 42, extending through I the insulating hubs 43 and 44. The disk 41 is inclosed by insulating or fiber disks 45 and .46. The spring connection between the disk 41 and the disks 45 and 46 is similar to those used in the preferred form and fully shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The gear 50 is identical with the gear 20, and comprises a metal disk 51, secured between insulating or fiber disks 52 and 53 '(Fig. 8). The gears 40 and 50 are connected to rotate in timed relation to the alternations of the genermove out of engagement asshown in Fig. 9, but the yielding mounting of the gear 41 causes the teeth to move backward, so that the tooth 41 cannot engage the rear face of the tooth 51. This condition is more clearly illustrated in Fig. 10, in which the teeth are moved forward still farther in their relative posit-ion.

It will thus be clear engagement successively for a certain length of time, and that gagement for a corresponding length of time. The parts are so timed that the gears engage during the other half of each alternation. Thus only one half of the output of the generator is conducted to the battery, the current being an intermittent direct current rather than a substantially continuous pulsating direct current as in the preferred form of my apparatus. This form of my invention is desirable when it is not necessary to utilize the entire output of the generator, and when simplicity of parts is greatly desired.

It will be evident by reference to the drawings that whenever a tooth of the movable metal disk engages a tooth in the cooperating gear,'an obtuse angle of the movable tooth first engages the tooth surface of the other gear, whereby the movable tooth is readily pushed forward into working position against the pressure of its spring 19.

Having thus described my invention, it

' but what I do claim is 1. A current rectifying apparatus comprising intermeshing spiral gears, one gear having a conductlng toothed disk fixed bethat theteeth a. in

they are then out of entween two insulating toothed disksya'nd the second gear having a conducting" toothed disk mounted for slight an ular movement between two insulating toot ed disks.

2. A current rectifying apparatus comprising intermeshing spiral gears, one gear having a conducting toothed disk fixed between two insulating toothed disks, and the second gear having a pair .ofconducting toothed disks separated and inclosed by insulating toothed disks, each conducting disk having a slight angular movement relative to the insulating dlsks and independent of each other. p

3. A current rectifying apparatus comprising intermeshing spiral gears, one gear having a conducting toothed disk fixed between two insulating toothed disks, and the second gear having a pair of conducting toothed disks separated and inclosed by insulating toothed disks, each conducting disk having a slight angular movement relative to the insulating disks and independent of each other, and means to force said movable disksyieldingly in one direction.

4. A current rectifying apparatus comprising intermeshing spiral gears, one gear having a toothed metal disk rigidly mounted between toothed fiber disks, and the second gear comprising a toothed metal disk movably mounted between two fiber disks, a stop to limit the relative movement of said metal disk, and a spring mounted in said second gear effective to yieldingly retain said movable metal disk at its limit of movement in one direction.

5. In a current rectifying apparatus, a spiral gear comprising a pair of toothed metal disks each electrically connected to a short shaft, said shafts being insulated from each other, and said disks being spaced apart between toothed fiber disks rotatable with said shafts, said metal disks having limited angular movement relative to said shafts and to said fiber disks.

6. A current rectifying apparatus comprising intermeshing spiral gears, each of said gears having conducting and non-conducting toothed portions, and the conducting portion of onev gear being movably mounted relatively to the non-conducting portion.

7. A current rectifying apparatus com prising 'intermeshing spiral gears, each of said gears having conducting and non-conducting toothed portions, and the conducting portion of one gear being movably mounted relatively to the non-conducting portion, and means to force said movable conducting portion yieldingly rearward, wherebyan obtuse' angle of each movably mounted tooth first engages a tooth of the cooperating gear.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto af- I fixed my signature.

JOHN E. GALLANT. 

